U.S. patent number 4,372,500 [Application Number 06/235,669] was granted by the patent office on 1983-02-08 for inserts for use with web dispensing means.
Invention is credited to Alfred Saraisky.
United States Patent |
4,372,500 |
Saraisky |
February 8, 1983 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Inserts for use with web dispensing means
Abstract
Hat-like inserts for use with supply rolls comprised of a hollow
cylindrical core having an elongated web of indeterminate length
wrapped about said core. The hat-like inserts have a slightly
tapered, generally cylindrical shaped side wall terminating at the
narrow diameter end in an integral closed end surface and being
opened at the wider diameter end thereof and having an integral
continuous flange encircling said open end and extending radially
outward therefrom. The inserts are pressed into opposing ends of
the hollow core with said flanges overlying at least the adjacent
end of said core and preferably a portion of the end of the rolled
up web. A curvature provided in the region where the open end of
said cylindrical side wall joins said flange maintains the flange a
spaced distance from at least the adjacent core to prevent surface
contact therebetween and thereby reduce frictional drag. Outwardly
projecting ribs are provided about said cylindrical side wall to
minimize surface contact between the insert and the interior
periphery of said core. Inwardly directed ribs are provided along
the side wall of said insert which, together with the outwardly
projecting ribs, facilitate gripping of the insert by the fingers
of an operator. The insert is preferably made of a suitable plastic
material having a low coefficient of sliding friction to permit the
core to rotate relative to the hand held inserts facilitating the
feeding and dispensing of the web of wrapping material. The supply
roll of wrapping material may be stably stood on either one of its
ends without removing the inserts, said flanges preventing the edge
of the web from being damaged.
Inventors: |
Saraisky; Alfred (Oakland,
NJ) |
Family
ID: |
22886459 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/235,669 |
Filed: |
February 18, 1981 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
242/613.5;
242/557; 242/588.1; 242/914; 53/390; 53/399; 53/465 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65H
75/185 (20130101); Y10S 242/914 (20130101); B65H
2701/534 (20130101); B65H 2402/412 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65H
75/18 (20060101); B65H 079/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;242/68.6,55,96,85,68,68.4,68.5,55.2,55.54
;53/465,139.3,203,218,219 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Gilreath; Stanley N.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Weinstein & Sutton
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An insert arranged to be held by the hand of an operator for use
in dispensing a web from a supply roll, said web being a web of
wrapping film wrapped about a core comprising a hollow cylinder,
said insert comprising:
a substantially cylindrical side wall having a first and second end
and tapering slightly from said second end towards said first end
so that said second end is wider than said first end, the hollow
interior of said side wall being of a depth sufficient to receive
the fingers of the operator when in use;
an end surface integral with said first end for substantially
closing said side wall at said first end;
a substantially flat annular shaped flange having its inner
periphery integrally joined to the second end of said side wall,
which second end is open;
said insert being inserted into at least one end of said cylinder
with said flange overlying at least the adjacent end of said
cylinder, said insert being formed of a plastic material having a
low coefficient of sliding friction, the surface of said insert
engaging said cylinder being smooth, whereby said insert is freely
slidable relative to said cylinder; the thickness of the insert
being selected to significantly reduce the weight of the insert and
enable the insert to be quite yieldable to facilitate insertion
into the cylinder.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said insert is provided with
spacing means engaging the interior periphery of said cylinder for
reducing the surface engagement between said side wall and the
interior periphery of said cylinder to thereby further enhance the
sliding movement between said insert and said cylinder.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said spacing means comprises
projections integrally formed in said side wall at spaced intervals
thereabout and extending outwardly therefrom, the exterior surfaces
of said projections being rounded to enhance the sliding movement
between said insert and said cylinder.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said projections are elongated
projections and extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of said
side wall.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said projections form recesses
at spaced intervals along the inner periphery of said side
wall.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said insert further comprises
gripping means provided in the interior surface of said sidewall to
facilitate gripping of said insert.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said gripping means comprises
projections integrally formed in said side wall and extending
radially inward therefrom.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said inwardly extending
projections are elongated projections and extend substantially
parallel to the longitudinal axis of said side wall.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said inwardly extending
projections form recesses at spaced intervals along the exterior
surface of said side wall.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said insert is provided with
spacing means for maintaining said flange a closely spaced distance
from the adjacent end of said supply roll.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said spacing means further
comprises a curved joining portion extending between the open end
of said side wall and the inner periphery of said flange and being
integral with said side wall and said flange;
the exterior surface of said curved portion engaging said cylinder
when pressed into one open end thereof to maintain said annular
flange a closely spaced distance from the adjacent end of said
supply roll to prevent said flange from engaging said adjacent end
of said supply roll while said flange protects said adjacent end of
said supply roll from contamination when inserted into one open end
thereof.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said flange is substantially
flat to support a supply roll so that the supply roll may be stood
on one end thereof with said insert resting upon the supporting
surface to thereby permit the supply roll to be stood on end while
preventing the end of the supply roll adjacent to the supporting
surface from engaging the surface supporting the supply roll.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said insert is formed of
styrene.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said insert is formed of a
plastic material and has a thickness in the range from 10 to 70
thousandths inches.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the thickness of said insert
is preferably in the range from 35 to 45 thousandths inches.
16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein indicia representing the outer
diameter of the side wall portion of said insert is imprinted in
said insert to facilitate its selection.
17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the outer periphery of said
flange extends over at least a portion of the end of the wrapping
film wrapped about the cylinder of said supply roll to protect the
wrapping film from being contaminated or accidently cut or
split.
18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said insert is formed of
rubber modified styrene.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
To facilitate the neat, orderly and efficient storage and shipping
of merchandise, which may typically be packaged in shipping
cartons, the merchandise is palletized, i.e. a predetermined
quantity of shipping cartons containing the merchandise are
arranged upon a pallet which facilitates movement and storage of
the merchandise, typically by materials handling euipment such as
for example, a fork-lift truck. In addition to palletizing
merchandise, it is often helpful and even necessary to wrap the
palletized merchandise to prevent its being damaged by moisture or
rain and to prevent it from becoming dusty, dirty or otherwise
degraded due to the presence of contaminants within the area
occupied by the merchandise when it is being shipped and/or
stored.
One conventional technique for protecting palletized merchandise is
to wrap a web of clear plastic film around the palletized
merchandise. This is accomplished through the use of a roll of
plastic film whose free end is tucked into a starting point of the
palletized merchandise. The operator then walks about the pallet
dispensing the web from the supply roll by unrolling the web. The
web is held by the operator by means of a holding apparatus, which
is conventionally comprised of a supporting rotatable spindle
inserted through the core of the supply roll and being rotatable
relative to a pair of handles on which the rotatable spindle is
freewheelingly mounted. These devices are expensive, difficult to
handle and further add a significant amount of weight to the
already heavy roll, making the wrapping operation complex and
tedious. In addition the holding assembly is easily damaged due to
the rough handling normally encountered, requiring frequent and
expensive repairs. In addition, it is not possible to stand the
supply roll up on its end without removing the conventional holding
device thus adding to the number of steps and complexity of the
wrapping operation.
Due to the awkwardness of the aforementioned conventional holding
assembly, operators quite frequently dispense completely with its
use and hold the supply roll in their bare hands. Since the supply
roll rotates relative to the fingers of the operator as the web is
being dispensed and wrapped about the pallet, the operators subject
their hands and fingers to paper burns and paper cuts. In addition,
it is a practical impossibility for the operator to prevent his
hands from engaging the edges of the web which causes inadvertent
and undesirable tearing and/or splitting of the web, which is to be
avoided since it complicates the dispensing the wrapping
operation.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to apparatus for use in dispensing
elongated webs and the like and more particularly to novel inserts
for use with such web supply rolls to facilitate dispensing of the
web and to protect both the web and the operator.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is characterized by comprising inserts which
avoid all of the disadvantages of the prior art supply roll holding
device and which protect the operator from injury and protect the
web from being cut, split or contaminated, said inserts being
comprised of a suitable plastic material which undergoes preferably
a vacuum forming operation to form a hat-like insert having a
slightly tapering generally cylindrical-shaped side wall defining a
hollow interior. The smaller diameter end is closed by an end
surface integrally joined thereto. The larger diameter end is open
and has a brim-like flange extending radially outward therefrom.
The flange is joined to the side wall by a curved annular-shaped
joining portion arranged between the open end of the cylindrical
side wall and the inner end of the annular flange to maintain the
flange a spaced distance from the adjacent end of said supply roll.
The flange is adapted to overlie at least the end of the supply
roll core and preferably at least a portion of the end of the
supply roll web wrapped about said core.
The tapered configuration of the cylindrical portion enables
nesting and stacking of the hat-like inserts.
Outwardly projecting ribs extending about the cylindrical side wall
minimize surface engagement between the side wall of the hat-like
insert and the interior periphery of the core of the supply
roll.
The interior periphery of the insert is grooved to facilitate
gripping by the fingers of the operator during a dispensing and
wrapping operation. The surface of the insert is provided with a
smooth finish and is formed of a plastic material having a low
coefficient of sliding friction.
In use, an insert is pressed into each end of the supply roll
hollow core. The operator places one or more fingers of each hand
into each insert, holding the inserts as the plastic sheet is
wrapped about the merchandise on the pallet, causing the web of
wrapping material and the core to rotate relative to the inserts.
The side wall and brim portion of the inserts prevent the
operator's fingers and hand from engaging the core and the wrapping
film, protecting the operator from being cut by the supply roll or
from experiencing a burn due to the supply roll rubbing against the
operator's fingers and/or hand.
The supply roll may be stood upon its end without removing the
inserts and stably remain in this position. The inserts are
inexpensive and extremely light-weight, adding an insignificant
amount of weight to the supply roll thus significantly reducing the
amount of fatigue and strain experienced by the operator in the
performance of repeated wrapping operations.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION AND A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide
novel inserts for use with wrapping film supply rolls and the like
for insertion into the ends of the supply rolls to facilitate the
dispensing of the web of wrapping material and for protecting the
web of wrapping material and the fingers of the operator during the
dispensing operation while permitting substantially free rotation
of the supply roll relative to the inserts as the web material is
being dispensed.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide novel
inserts for use in dispensing wrapping material in the form of an
elongated web from a supply roll, said inserts being inexpensive
and light in weight and having a low coefficient of sliding
friction to facilitate relative sliding movement between the
inserts and the supply roll core into which the inserts are
positioned.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide novel
inserts for use in dispensing wrapping material from a supply roll
wherein said inserts are provided with integrally formed means for
reducing the frictional engagement between the inserts and the
supply roll to a practical minimum.
The above as well as other objects of the present invention wil
become apparent when reading the accompanying description and
drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing inserts embodying
the principles of the present invention and showing the manner in
which they may be employed with one type of supply roll of wrapping
film.
FIG. 2 shows an exploded partial perspective view of an insert and
the manner in which the insert may be employed with a supply roll
different from that shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3a shows an enlarged top perspective view of the insert of
FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 3b shows an enlarged bottom perspective view of the insert of
FIG. 3a.
FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of the insert of FIG. 3b looking in
the direction of arrows 4--4.
FIG. 4a shows an enlarged partial cross-section of an insert and
showing the manner in which the insert is positioned within the
interior of a supply roll of the type of either FIG. 1 or FIG.
2.
FIG. 5 shows a sectional view taken along a diameter of a supply
roll and showing the manner in which an insert is arranged
therein.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the diameter of an insert
and showing the manner in which the inserts may be nested and
stacked.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows an exploded arrangement 10 showing a supply roll 12
and a pair of inserts 14, 14' adapted for insertion into the supply
roll 12 to facilitate a dispensing and wrapping operation.
The supply roll 12 is comprised of a hollow cylinder 16 preferably
formed of a rigid and yet relatively lightweight material such as
cardboard or stiff paperboard. An elongated web 18 of indeterminate
length is wrapped about cylinder 16. The web may for example be a
thin gauge transparent plastic film suitable for wrapping.
Conventional film 18 in widespread use includes, for example, low
density polyethylene film and PVC film. In the embodiment 10 of
FIG. 1, the ends 16a and 16b of cylinder 16 extend beyond the
respective ends 18a and 18b of the web 18.
The interior 16c of cylinder 16 is hollow throughout the entire
length of the cylinder. The inserts 14 and 14' are inserted into
the opposite ends of cylinder 16 by pressing the inserts 14, 14'
into the interior 16c in the directions shown by arrows 22, 22.
Since the inserts 14 and 14' are identical to one another, only
insert 14 will be described herein in detail for purposes of
simplicity. Noting especially FIGS. 3a, 3b and 4, insert 14 can be
seen to be comprised of a substantially cylindrical-shaped side
wall 14b having a slight taper to permit nesting and stacking as
will be more fully described. The narrow diameter end is closed by
integral end surface 14a. If desired end surface 14a can have an
opening near the center. The larger diameter end of side wall 14b
is open and is integrally joined to a brim-like annular shaped
flange 14c which completely encircles side wall 14b. The open end
14d of side wall 14b is joined to flange 14c by a curved portion
14e having a first smaller diameter end thereof joined to side wall
14b and curving outwardly and away from side wall 14b and merging
with a short, integral annular shaped arm portion 14f of flange 14c
at its larger diameter end. Annular arm portion 14f cooperates with
flange 14c to collectively define an L-shaped configuration. The
left-hand end of portion 14f (relative to FIG. 5) is integrally
joined to curved portion 14e, as shown best in FIG. 5.
The insert 14 is preferably produced through a vacuum forming
technique, although injection molding, stamping or any other
technique may be employed, if desired. The insert is preferably
formed of a plastic material such as for example styrene or rubber
modified styrene, which materials have the characteristics of
providing an insert which, although it is of relatively thin gauge,
is light-weight and quite durable and has a low coefficient of
sliding friction. The thickness range of the insert is preferably
between 0.010 and 0.070 inches, although a thinner or thicker
insert may be provided if desired. Preferably the insert has a
thickness of between 0.035 and 0.045 inches. In addition, other
plastic materials may be employed, such as for example polyethylene
or urethane, or any plastic material exhibiting characteristics
similar to those set forth above.
Insert 14 is formed so that its side wall 14b is provided with a
plurality of undulations which undulations are divided into a first
group 14b-1 through 14b-3 which are arranged at 120.degree.
intervals about side wall 14b in the embodiment of FIG. 4 and which
define outwardly directed projections in the form of elongated ribs
extending along the exterior surface of side wall 14b. The
undulations 14b-1 through 14b-3 also form elongated grooves having
semi-circular shaped cross-sections along the interior surface of
side wall 14b.
The second group of undulations 14b-4 through 14b-6 form inwardly
directed projections along the interior surface of side wall 14b
defining elongated ribs arranged at 120.degree. intervals relative
to one another. The group of undulations 14b-4 through 14b-6 form
shallow semi-circular shaped recesses along the exterior surface of
side wall 14b.
As was described hereinabove, each insert 14 is pressed into an end
of cylinder 16. FIG. 5 shows a typical insert 14 pressed into the
interior opening 16c of cylinder 16 to occupy the operative
position of FIG. 5. In this position, the undulations 14b-1 through
14b-3 make sliding engagement with the interior surface 16d of
cylinder 16 as shown best in FIG. 4a. FIG. 4a shows only two of
said undulations 14b-1 and 14b-2 for purposes of simplicity.
As shown in FIG. 4a, the outermost surface portions of undulations
14b-1 and 14b-2 engage the interior periphery of cylinder 16 while
the major portion of the periphery of side wall 14b between said
undulations is spaced from the interior surface 16d by a gap
distance D. Obviously, the groove formed on the outer periphery of
side wall 14b by undulations 14b-4 lies a still further distance
from surface 16d of cylinder 16.
In operation, the inserts 14 and 14' (see FIG. 1) may be considered
as remaining stationary while the wrapping film 18 and cylinder 16
experience movement relative thereto. In accordance with FIG. 4a,
cylinder 16 may be moved, for example either in the direcion shown
by arrow 24 or in the reverse direction shown by arrow 26, while
side wall 14b (i.e. insert 14) remains substantially stationary
relative to cylinder 16. As can clearly be seen from FIG. 4a, the
amount of surface contact between the interior surface 16d and the
outermost surface portions of undulations 14b-1 through 14b-3 is
minimum. Air trapped within the hollow region between interior
surface 16d and the exterior surface of a side wall 14b also passes
through the surface contact region between surface 16d and
undulations 14b-1 and 14b-2 to provide a film of air upon which the
cylinder 16 "rides" relative to the side wall 14b of insert 14
whereby side wall 14b exerts minimum drag upon cylinder 16. In
addition thereto, as was mentioned hereinabove, the side wall 14b
is slightly tapered, further reducing engagement between interior
periphery 16d of cylinder 16 and the exterior periphery of side
wall 14b. Since insert 14 is made of a plastic material having a
very low coefficient of sliding friction and further since insert
14 is formed of relatively thin gauge plastic, the drag imposed
upon cylinder 16 by insert 14 is quite small.
Considering FIG. 4 it can clearly be seen that both the inwardly
directed projections formed by undulations 14b-4 through 14b-6 and
the recesses formed by undulations 14b-1 through 14b-3 within the
interior of sidewall 14b serve as gripping means to facilitate
gripping of the interior of the insert 14 by the fingers of the
operator, enabling the operator to hold inserts 14, 14' while the
wrapping film 18 is being dispensed and wrapped about an object. As
was mentioned hereinabove, inserts 14, 14' are extremely thin and
are also made of extremely light-weight plastic so that they add a
negligible amount of weight to the supply roll 12 which is clearly
a significant difference over the bulky and heavy dispensing
assemblies presently in use.
Considering FIG. 5, it can be seen that when the insert 14 is
pressed into opening 16c at end 16a of cylinder 16, the curved
portion 14e engages the vertex 16d formed by the inner circular
edge of cylinder 16. Curved portion 14e, together with straight arm
portion 14f serves to maintain brim-like flange 14c a spaced
distance D1 from the right hand end 16a of cylinder 16 thus
preventing sliding engagement therebetween and further reducing the
frictional drag imposed upon cylinder 16 by insert 14 to a
practical minimum. Brim-like flange 14c overlies at least the end
portion 16a of cylinder 16 and may, if desired, extend still
further in the outward radial direction as shown by dotted flange
extension 14c-1 in order to overlie at least a portion of the end
18a of the roll portion 18c formed by the film 18 wound about
cylinder 16 and which has yet to be dispensed from supply roll
12.
Brim-like flange 14c protects the operator from abrasive type burns
or cuts by preventing the operator's fingers from engaging end 16a
of cylinder 16. Brim 14c, when it overlies the end 18a of film 18
also protects the operator's fingers from engaging the plastic film
18 and likewise protects the operator from suffering a cut or an
abrasive type of burn. In addition thereto, film 18 is protected
from accidental engagement such as by the operator, which
accidental engagement, even though slight, is often sufficient to
nick and prematurely split or tear the film 18 during the wrapping
operation.
The supply roll embodiment 12' of FIG. 2 is substantially identical
to that shown in FIG. 1 except that the ends of cylinder 16 are
substantially flush with the end of the web of film wrapped about
the cylinder 16. For example, FIG. 2 shows end 16a ' substantially
flush with end 18a of the web 18 of wrapping film. The embodiment
in which the insert 14 has an enlarged brim-like flange 14c so as
to incorporate flange portion 14c-1 shown in FIG. 5, is
advantageous for use with the supply roll embodiment 12' of FIG. 2
since end 18a is positioned closer to the operator's fingers and is
more likely to engage the operator's fingers and cause an abrasive
burn in the absence of insert 14. Conversely, the supply roll 12',
in the absence of insert 14, is more likely to be engaged by the
operator's fingers, as well as anything else in the region of end
18d, for that matter. Thus, insert 14 prevents accidental tearing
or splitting of the film 18.
Numerous occasions arise during which the operator may decide to
set the roll of film down in order to diver this attention to
another matter. Since the working region is frequently a warehouse
or other similar area whose cleanliness leaves a lot to be desired,
it is extremely advantageous to stand the roll 12' up on one end to
prevent the film 18 from being contaminated, without first removing
the hand held unit. It is not possible to stand supply roll 12' on
end when using the hand held units of the prior art, without first
removing the hand held unit. However, a supply roll 12' of the
wrapping film 18 may be stood up on either of its ends without
removing the inserts 14, 14'. In addition thereto, flange 14c
protects the end of the roll of film from engaging the ground and
possibly being contaminated or from being prematurely split or cut.
The supply roll 12 of FIG. 1 is also capable of being stood up on
its end without removing inserts 14, 14'.
FIG. 6 shows the manner in which two inserts 14 and 14' may be
nested, one inside the other, for stacking purposes so as to reduce
the amount of space required for shipping and storage. Very simply,
the closed end of insert 14' is inserted into the open end of
insert 14 and is pressed downwardly until the inserts 14 and 14'
occupy the positions shown in FIG. 6. Only two inserts 14, 14' have
been shown in FIG. 6 for purposes of simplicity. However it should
be understood that a greater number of inserts may be nested and
stacked for shipping and storage purposes.
As was described hereinabove, the insert 14 is preferably produced
through a vacuum forming method and has a wall thickness of the
order of 10 to 70 thousandths, a preferred flange thickness of 35
to 45 thousandths and a preferred thickness of the order of 40
thousandths. The outer diameter of the side wall 14b may be of any
size to accommodate supply rolls having different inner diameters.
The supply rolls most commonly in use have cylinders whose inner
diameters range typically from 1.5 inches to 3 inches, typical
sizes for example being 1.5 inches, 2 inches, 21/4 inches, 21/2
inches, 23/4 inches and 3 inches. The outer diameter of the insert
14 is substantially of equal value for each associated supply roll
and will not impose undue frictional drag upon the cylinder 16
since insert 14 is quite yieldable due to its relatively thin
gauge. In order to facilitate selection of an insert 14 of the
proper size for a supply roll 12, from an inventory of a variety of
different size inserts, the inserts are preferably color coded. For
example, the 11/2 inch insert may be orange; the 2 inch insert may
be blue; the 21/4 inch insert may be green; and so forth. In
addition, the size of the insert may also be imbedded directly into
the insert for example on the flange portion, so that a 2 inch
insert may have the indicia `2" Insert` as shown for example in
FIG. 3b, to facilitate selection of the proper size insert.
A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in
the foregoing disclosure, and in some instances, some features of
the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other
features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims
be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and
scope of the invention herein.
* * * * *